When they appeared in her bedroom, her arms were looped around his neck as he held her closely to him. Her hands laced in his hair and she purred into his shoulder, rubbing her legs together slightly.

He walked to the bed and set her down gently. He reached out a gloved hand and stroked the side of her face, taking note of her enlarged pupils, thundering heartbeat, and flushed face and body. The muscles in her jaw twitched as she clenched her teeth.

"Can you tell me what you took tonight, and how much?" His tone was even, there was no accusation.

Sarah sighed. "Two ecstasy pills, five beers, and a cigarette that was cut short by that asshole's advances," she said, bitterly.

"Was that asshole a 'creepy random'?" Jareth asked, softly.

"No, he was my fucking friend, which makes this whole thing even worse. I'm going to be really upset about it tomorrow, but tonight, I just want to ride out this high. Fuck him!" She punched the air for effect. "I fucked him up."

Jareth frowned at her, but couldn't help allowing a small twitch at the corner of his lips. She had been in situations before where she had had no power over an assailant. As serious as the situation in the alley could have been for the boy in the face of her new, uncontrolled magic, Jareth was relieved that Sarah had been able to defend herself this time. He was proud of her, even though her magic was unbridled and dangerous. Part of him was even proud of her cruelty, in the way she took pleasure in what she had done. The more he thought about it, though, the more concerned he grew over the possibility of Sarah becoming jaded with her growing power, careless over whom she hurt and how. She would need consistent emotional support and intensive magical training to ensure she developed a healthy relationship with her power.

Sarah unlaced her boots and kicked them off, exposing her long legs. She sat on the bed, knees tucked under her chin. Jareth appraised her for a moment, then crawled in to sit behind her, his legs on either side of her, and leaned her back to rest against his chest. With skilled fingers, he began to release her hair from her buns, lovingly combing out the tangles. He then braided her hair in a loose pattern down her back.

"How are you feeling, Sarah?"

Sarah noticed vaguely that he had only been addressing her by name since that morning, avoiding all nicknames. Her guts clenched a bit at the realization.

"Mentally? Physically? Or, emotionally?" She inquired, eyes still closed.

"Let's start with mentally." He took one of her hands.

Sarah took a beat before replying. "Triggered. Being restrained like that was, well, it reminded me of him, and that night. But, it's weird. I know I am affected, I can still feel the adrenaline and cortisol in my system. I know it will probably do some damage, but right now I just cannot process it. It's too much. I think I'm still too high, to be honest." She paused, then explained, "It's hard to feel negative emotions on ecstasy, your brain is basically flooded with happy juice."

Jareth squeezed her hand. "How are you feeling physically?"

Sarah laughed. "As if you can't smell exactly how I am feeling physically."

Jareth, in a rare moment of speechlessness, had nothing to say. Sarah turned her head to look at him, a wicked grin flashing across her sparkly face. "Cat got your tongue, Goblin King?" When he continued to say nothing, she giggled. "Don't worry. I know you're much too noble to take advantage. You should know, though, that I couldn't stop thinking about you all night. About your warm hands, your soft lips, your throbbing—"

"All right," Jareth said, gently extricating himself from behind her and moving to sit beside her instead, a safe distance between them. "That's enough of that for tonight."

Sarah pouted, but her eyes danced with mischief. "You're no fun at all." In a quick movement, she straddled him, placing her hands on his chest.

He immediately lifted her easily by her hips, placing her back in the spot beside him. "You can tell me all about it tomorrow when you have returned to a sober state of mind, Sarah. Besides, this morning, you were spinning a much different story."

Sarah frowned and let out a huff, choosing not to defend her actions that morning.

Jareth continued, "Which brings me to my last question, although this one might be better for the morning as well. How are you feeling emotionally?"

She was quiet for a while. "Overwhelmed."

Jareth nodded. "Can you tell me more about that?"

Sarah took in a shuddering breath. "Well, there are a few pieces to that answer. The first piece involves Brandon, that's his name, by the way. The bastard. Anyway, he was my friend. I feel betrayed, angry, sad… or, more like, I know I will feel those things tomorrow. People are fucked. How am I supposed to trust other people?" She paused. "Do you remember warning me about Paul, back when I was a teenager, that he just wanted to take from me? To steal my light?"

Jareth inclined his head in confirmation, his lips pursing in a sad line.

"You were right, of course. But it isn't just him. Its people." She looked at him, locking her eyes with his. "But not you. You've never taken a single thing from me that was not freely given. That's the second piece, to answer how I am doing emotionally. I'm happy to be here with you. You make me feel so seen, so safe and cared for. You've been my protector since I was eighteen, and shit, maybe even before that. You make me feel powerful and in control, strong and resilient. I trust you. I trust you with all of me." She barely took a breath between phrases, her words spilling out in a manic rush. "Jareth, I fucked up."

He reached out to smooth her hair. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Sarah. It's really best we not discuss it too deeply tonight. I would rather you be sober, so you do not say something under the influence that you may later regret."

"I'm just sorry," she continued anyway, leaning into his hand, "we don't have to keep talking about it, but I did just want to at least apologize for how I acted this morning, regardless of my feelings. I was cruel. You were, as always, generous."

They stared at each other for a long moment, emotions drumming a heavy beat in both of their chests.

Finally, he broke the silence. "What would make you feel good right now, Sarah? What can I do for you?"

She shot him a wolfish smile. "I thought I was pretty clear—"

He held up a hand. "I am happy to offer all services of comfort aside from those of a sexual nature."

Sarah pouted again and considered. "Well," she started, "ecstasy makes your nerve endings practically burn for physical touch. My entire body is hypersensitive. Pretty much any contact would feel incredible."

He considered her carefully. "Would you be comfortable with laying on your belly so I could straddle you?"

"Yes," she answered, untucking her knees from her chin and rolling over to sprawl on her stomach. She felt her skirt ride up and pulled it down. Feeling his eyes on her ass, she added, "you didn't tell me what you think about my outfit."

Jareth swung his leg over her hips, sitting astride her. "You are exquisite, and I know you know I think so." He rubbed his hands together to warm them. "May I massage you?"

"Yes," she said again, "please."

Jareth smoothed his hands along her shoulders and back before gently kneading the taught muscles in her shoulders and neck. Sarah moaned loudly and unselfconsciously beneath him. He smiled to himself at her enthusiasm. When his fingers danced across her scalp and tugged subtly in her hair, she let out a low groan of pleasure. Jareth could smell her arousal smoldering in the atmosphere around them. He became suddenly aware of his own aching arousal. Just as he was about to put a stop to what he was doing, Sarah beat him to it.

"Um," she cleared her throat, "Jareth."

He let out a deep breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Yes, Sarah?"

"I'm getting really— I mean, we should probably not—"

Jareth moved off of her. "Understood."

"I just want to respect your boundaries," she explained, "I know you don't want to have sex while I am under the influence. And I should be honest and let you know I very much still am."

"I appreciate your candor. You are correct. This morning, you made it clear you wanted no such thing from me. It would be inappropriate to make love to you without your sober consent."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she blurted out, "ecstasy is a stimulant, which I am sure you gathered by my elevated heart rate and sex drive. I'm going to be awake for a few more hours at least."

Jareth thought about this for a moment. He did have business at the castle to attend to, but that could wait until tomorrow. He wanted to stay, for a few reasons. He simply wanted to be around her, of course, but he also wanted to be there for her when she crashed. He knew, from having mind-spoke with her during times when she was hungover from this drug, that she became depressed. He also knew she would have to begin processing her friend's betrayal. To make it all the more intense, her magic had finally manifested into something entirely new and uncontrolled. He needed to stay and support her.

"Yes, Sarah. I will stay."

"Oh, stop calling me that! It's driving me insane!" Sarah snapped. She rolled over and sat up across from him, legs crossed. She knew her panties would be showing, but she didn't care.

He shot her a quizzical look, taken aback. "Stop… calling you by your name?"

"You haven't called me one of your cutesy, annoying nicknames all night. It's getting on my last nerve. It's petty."

A wide grin flashed across his face. "Oh, pardon me, Precious. I did not realize you were so fond of my endearments."

When she gave him a pointed eye roll and said nothing further, he tilted his head and regarded her. "What do you propose we do?"

She tapped her bottom lip as if deep in thought before a smile stretched her features. "I know. We could play Twenty Questions."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What is that?"

"It's basically what it sounds like. We just take turns asking each other questions."

He looked confused. "And how is a winner determined?"

Sarah laughed. "There is no winner, the point is just to get to know each other better."

Jareth's expression said that this was really no game at all if there was no winner. Regardless, he nodded his head in acquiescence.

"Great. I'll start." Sarah began, "what do you do with the wished aways?"

"Most fae families do not have biological children. Fertility among the fae has adjusted to our long lifespans. Most children one would see in fae society in the Underground are human wished aways. At age eighteen, they are given the choice between immortality or remaining mortal."

Sarah's mouth fell open. "But you said if I were to return, I would become fae. How can they decide to remain human?"

"You misunderstood me, Precious. I did not say you would become fae. You would be immortal, but just as human as you are now. Your life would be extended indefinitely within a few weeks of your return, once the Labyrinth became certain her Champion wished for immortality. You do have a choice."

"So, if I would have failed my run, Toby would have been adopted into a fae family?" She asked, eyes wide. "I always thought he would have been turned into a goblin! You told me as much at the start of my run."

He chuckled. "Once again, that is not what I said. If you recall, I said, 'you have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us forever.' I am no goblin, Sarah." His eyes glittered at her mischievously. "Of course I would not allow a child to be turned into a goblin. Toby would have been placed in a loving fae home and absorbed into Underground society."

She nodded slowly. "Good to know. Okay, your turn."

Jareth pondered his question before asking, "What is your greatest insecurity?"

"That's an easy one," she answered quickly, "my inexperience with sex and relationships. I feel like this is all very one-sided and I have nothing to contribute. I don't know what I am doing."

"You keep saying that don't know what you are doing. And yet, I seem to remember some fairly convincing evidence to the contrary." He winked at her lasciviously. "You have nothing to feel insecure about. You are perfect."

"My turn." She said quickly, clearly wanting to derail that topic. "Can all fae do magic like you?"

Jareth grinned and produced a crystal, rolling it from one hand to the other in a fluid motion before it disappeared entirely. "All fae have rudimentary skills in very basic magic, but very few fae are mages."

"What's a mage, exactly?"

"I am a mage, and so are you, as we learned this evening." He offered her a genuine smile. "One of the abilities of a mage is to manifest one's magic into a physical force, which is what you did. There are other abilities that may develop as well. Some examples of mage magic that I am capable of include the ability to transport, traverse dimensions, detect injury and illness, minor healing, and conjure crystals."

"Show off," Sarah teased, "what about me?"

"I have no way of knowing if you will develop any of these abilities, of course, since, to my knowledge, there has never been a bond similar to ours. No human has developed magic in the same way you have."

"Well, shit," Sarah said, floored, "that's wild."

Jareth was still smiling at her. "It's exciting. I am quite proud of you, Little Mage."

Sarah pulled a face at the new nickname before returning his smile.

"I believe it is my turn," Jareth started, "what was your most embarrassing moment?"

"Oh, god." She looked at him as if deciding whether or not to continue.

He grinned at her reaction. "That bad? Do tell."

Sarah groaned. "In fourth grade, I was sent away to summer camp. I was really shy, I didn't know anyone there. I was immediately the weird kid because all I really did was read. Anyway, one night, it was campfire tale night. It was my turn to get up and tell a story. I was feeling really encouraged, because the kids were laughing at the funny bits. Then, I realized they were just laughing in general, even during the scary parts." She paused, looking at him meaningfully.

"Oh, no." Jareth said in anticipation.

"Yeah… so, turns out, I had started my period and was bleeding heavily through my white shorts and down my legs. It was mortifying. That was my first period. The other kids called me 'Blood Bath' the rest of the summer."

Jareth cringed and shook his head. "Oh, Love. How cruel."

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, it was scarring for sure. I had a serious fear of being in front of groups of people for years after that. Anyway, my turn." She tilted her head, trying to think of a question. "What's the deal with offering people their dreams? Is that a skill of being a mage?"

"No, I can offer people their dreams because I am The Goblin King. Being The Master of Dreams is one of my responsibilities as King of the Goblins and the Labyrinth. I can interfere with sleep and dreams, crafting both dreams and nightmares alike. I rarely do this, as it is cruel, and in my opinion, crossing the line in most cases. The human psyche is so fragile, you see. I used to try to convince runners to fight for the wished away and issue warnings. However, it makes no difference whether I know their dreams before I offer them, it is up to the runner to decide their fate either way. I learned long ago that warnings from me do little to dissuade someone from choosing their dreams over running the Labyrinth to save the child."

Sarah thought about this. "It breaks my heart that people would so easily choose their dreams over a child." Her eyes grew large as the rest of what he had said sunk in. "So, wait, hypothetically, you could make me sleep? You could not only see what I was dreaming about, but create dreams and nightmares for me?" Sarah was flabbergasted.

"Yes," he began, cautiously, "but please trust that I will not. Looking into someone's dreams during their Labyrinth run is one thing. That is part of my role as Goblin King. Looking into your dreams now without your consent would be a violation."

"Thank you," said Sarah, reassured, "your turn."

His eyes darkened a shade. "Do you ever fantasize about people other than men?"

"Yes," Sarah answered, quickly, without much thought. "Definitely."

Jareth tipped his head back and laughed. "Well, that was a swift reply."

Sarah shrugged, grinning at him. "It's just the truth. Does it bother you?"

He laughed again. "Absolutely not. I am delighted."

She laughed with him. "My turn. Have you been in love before?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, although it was different, as I was not bonded with any of my previous partners." He studied her for her reaction. Her open expression encouraged him to continue. "Once, when I was about nineteen, I fell in love with a woman who was older than I was, much more experienced. She was the daughter of one of my tutors. She became betrothed and was shipped off to another kingdom. The next time I saw her, a few centuries later, she was happy with her husband and a wished away child." A shadow of sadness passed over his face before he continued, "And, I fell in love once again when I was in my early hundreds. We were both battling in the Third Great Elven War. I made it home, he did not. We never did find his body."

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, Jareth." Sarah felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. "That's horrible."

"It was," he agreed, pausing a long beat before changing the subject. "My turn. Do you have any sexual fantasies?"

Sarah looked at him skeptically. "You're going to think I am seriously sick."

He frowned, concerned. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you know everything that's ever happened to me." Sarah bit her lip nervously.

Jareth was beginning to understand the direction she was headed in. "Sarah, you're under no obligation to share with me. I was only asking in spirit of the game. You can simply pass."

She paused, staring at him. "Are you sure you even want to know?"

He stared back at her. "Nothing you could say would change anything for me, Precious. If there are fantasies I can help you to realize safely, then, yes, I want to know about them."

"Okay," she began, taking a deep breath. "Sometimes, I think about you holding my arms above my head, that kind of thing." She looked at him, gauging his reaction. When he just nodded, slowly, she continued. "Sometimes, I think about you tying me to the bed and teasing me until I beg."

"Sarah—" Jareth stammered, conflicting emotions warring within him. He couldn't deny that the type of play she was describing excited him, but he worried about how healthy it was for her given her history. However, if she felt safe, if it made her feel powerful, who was he to deny her?

"I told you," she said, "sick. There is some serious shit wrong with me, Jareth."

"No," he said, taking her hands. "Don't say that. Kinks are normal. Don't shame yourself."

Sarah squeezed his hands. "Thanks. My turn. How often to you have sexual partners? Do you have relationships with people? For how long?"

"Sarah," he chuckled, "that was three questions, and all three are quite loaded."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I am just feeling braver than usual."

"Are these things you would otherwise feel uncomfortable asking, were you not under the influence?" His brow furrowed slightly.

"Are you stalling?" She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "How often do I have sexual partners… well, that depends on whether or not I am involved in a monogamous relationship or not. Not all relationships in the Underground are monogamous. It comes down to mutual respect and agreement between partners. I have been in both monogamous and multi-partner relationships. In the past, I have tended to avoid monogamous relationships, as my feelings were rarely strong enough for me to warrant remaining with one person for long, especially after Orion passed into the Summerlands."

She nodded. "When was your last sexual partner?" She peered at him speculatively, doing her best to keep a neutral expression.

He cast her an appraising look. "Precious, are you sure you want to go this deep right now?"

"Yes," she answered, resolutely.

"Does it really matter? You know I am experienced and that I have a past."

"I just want to know you. I didn't say it would make a difference in what I think of you."

Jareth sighed again. "A little over ten years ago, I had a casual partner. We were not committed."

Sarah nodded again, slowly. "That's… further back than I expected, to be honest. "

Jareth laughed. "Thank you?"

Sarah laughed with him. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that, well, you made it very clear both in words and actions," she blushed, "that you're quite experienced. And I got the impression from the ballroom dream that the Underground is basically some never-ending bang-a-thon from the way everyone was writhing all over each other and making out."

Jareth guffawed at that. "Your perceptions are not far off. It truly is, for most. And I am experienced, Sarah, but you must also remember, I have lived for thousands of years. Even if I had only one partner every century, I would be experienced."

Sarah felt the bottom of her stomach drop out in a moment of intimidation and self-consciousness as the gravity of that statement hit home. She looked down at her hands, avoiding his eyes. "So, what happened? With your last partner?"

"We parted amicably. I met someone else, and it became clear to me that I had no business being in any kind of relationship at that time." His eyes twinkled at her, but she didn't notice because she was still looking anywhere but at him.

"What do you mean you met someone else? I asked you about your last partner—"

"The person I met was a fifteen year old runner who bested my Labyrinth. Much too young to court. While I did not desire her then as an adult would desire another adult, I did feel the bond. As soon as she said the words, I felt my power become her power."

"Me," Sarah said.

"You," Jareth agreed.

A comfortable silence fell between them. Sarah yawned.

"Getting tired, Sarah?

"Yeah," she admitted, "I wanted to take a bath before bed, though. I'll feel so much better in the morning if I do. Will you come with?"

He hesitated, looking at her skeptically. "As long as you do not seduce me, Sarah."

She giggled. "I promise." Sarah padded into the bathroom with Jareth trailing behind her. She bent over to turn on the water and plug the drain. Jareth admired her figure surreptitiously as she did so. When she straightened, he was examining the rug innocently. Sarah tipped some bubble bath into the water, swirling it around with a bare foot until it frothed nicely. When the water level reached a satisfactory height, she looked at Jareth. "Here's the part where I get naked. Cover your eyes, if you're still playing a hero."

Jareth did not cover his eyes. Instead, he watched her brazenly untie her top, releasing her breasts. Then, she unzipped and shimmied out of her mini skirt, letting it pool at her feet, and stepped out of her panties. She stood in front of him, making no move to cover herself like she would have only days before. Jareth wondered how much of this bravado was the effect of the drug, and how much was authentic confidence.

"Well? Bathe." He said, shooing her toward the bathtub.

She grinned and stepped into the bath, sinking down into the luxurious bubbles.

Jareth sat on the ledge of the tub near her head and asked, "Where is your hair cleanser?"

"It's called shampoo in the Aboveground. Here." She handed him the bottle.

Jareth squirted some shampoo into his hands and rubbed them together, creating a rich lather. He then worked his fingers into her scalp, rubbing thoroughly to remove all the grime and glitter from her night out.

"I could come right now from this." Sarah announced, as if it was the most simple statement.

Jareth didn't respond verbally, only smiled to himself at her lack of filter tonight. He ran the lather through her ends, combing out all remaining residue.

"Tilt your head back, Precious, so I can rinse you."

She obeyed, dunking her scalp and hair under the surface while Jareth rubbed her scalp and wrung the shampoo out of her hair. He repeated the process with conditioner.

When he finished, Sarah grabbed her loofa and stood in the tub. She sensually scrubbed every inch of her skin, watching Jareth as she did it.

"I thought you promised not to seduce me," he growled, his self control tested for the first real time that night as he watched her slide the loofa over her sex.

She smiled and released the drain for the tub. "You might want to move, I'm going to turn on the shower and rinse off."

When she finished, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and threw her hair up in a t-shirt. She walked to her mirror and hastily dried her hair with the t-shirt, then braided it down one shoulder. She brushed her teeth and applied her facial and eye creams. Jareth followed her as she walked back to her room and watched as Sarah rummaged in a drawer, producing a large t-shirt and a pair of soft booty shorts. Once dressed in her chosen sleepwear, she grabbed his hand and crawled into bed, pulling him in next to her. He kicked off his boots and pulled the sheets up over them both. Tucking her head under his chin, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her in close.

Sarah stifled a yawn and nuzzled into him. "Thank you, as always, for showing up for me."

Jareth kissed the top of her head and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Goodnight, Little Mage."